Ebay

Autism Light #457 is eBay.

eBay (NYSE: EBAY) is a multinational ecommerce corporation with headquarters in San Jose, California. eBay was founded in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar and is currently a multi-billion dollar corporation with operations in 30 countries. Products on eBay range from basic supplies to eccentric and unusual items. eBay is an Autism Light for the special effort it made to make a memorable moment for a boy with autism named Sammy in 2016.

The following is a YouTube video produced with the efforts of Sammy's mother and the eBay social media team. It was uploaded on December 12, 2016. The following video describes Sammy's love for eBay and their logo and how happy he was to receive some promotional items in the mail from eBay.

Autism Parents Earn Money for Expenses on eBay:  Without a doubt eBay has helped some autism parents earn extra money for the challenging expenses of autism by providing a platform where individuals can make a profit by selling their goods to others.

Autism Parents Can Purchase Resources on eBay: eBay has a special section on their commerce website called Special Needs and Autism Educational Toys. Parents can go directly there to review and purchase resources for the education and growth of their children with autism.

eBay for Charity: eBay has programs in place that allow sellers on their site to support autism. For example, their eBay for Charity program allows sellers to support autism charities by donating 10%-100% of the final selling price of their products to a designated charity (See News Story on the Autism Plus Website). The video below explains how eBay for Charity works.

Wikipedia Page: You can read more about eBay on their Wikipedia Page.

Social Media: You can follow eBay on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page of eBay
• Twitter @eBay

Special thanks to eBay for being a business that cares about people with autism and autism charities. We hope that they will continue to be an autism friendly business and add a smile to the lives of families with autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.


Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.

P.J. Gialopsos

Autism Light #430 is P.J. Gialopsos.

P.J. Gialopsos has owned the Little Italy Restaurante in Anchorage, Alaska for 30 years. One of her delivery drivers has autism and a customer complained mercilessly about them making a mistake with their order and then made a judgment remark that the employee was not intelligent or that they were using drugs on the job. P.J. Gialopsos is an Autism Light because on November 11, 2015, after considering the situation for a while, she announced that her restaurant would no longer provide service to the customer who had such a bitter attitude toward her employee with autism.

P.J. Gialopsos' daughter received the loud complaint on the phone from the customer, and even after explaining that the employee had autism, the customer was unrelenting in condemnation of the employee (Restaurant Fires Patron Who Berated Autistic Delivery Driver, Seattlepi, November 13, 2015).

The Mighty shared this about the accomplishments of the delivery driver with autism who is in this story.

The driver, who has autism and a speech impediment, is a university student who's worked for the restaurant for two years. After the mixup, he immediately retrieved the right order from his car and returned to the restaurant (Restaurant 'Fires' Customer who Berated Employee with Autism, The Mighty, November 11, 2015). 

The following is the post that P.J. Gialopsos made on her business's Facebook page about her decision. Over 25,000 people have liked this post on Facebook.

This has been pondered for days now: should I write this post and HOW should I write this post? Over the weekend we...
Posted by Little Italy Restaurante on Tuesday, November 10, 2015

This special appreciation of P.J. Gialopsos was given out by @TimVashon on Twitter.

If you are ever in Ancorage, Alaska make sure to dine at Little Italy Restaurante, here is why: https://t.co/uahXUsQqfu

— TimVashon (@TimVashon) November 13, 2015

Special thanks to P.J. Gialopsos for being an Autism Light and spreading autism awareness by the stand she took in her business. We wish P.J. Gialopsos tremendous success in her business and hope that she will continue to employ individuals with autism even after her current employee graduates from college and moves on. P.J. Gialopsos is representative of many caring business owners around the world who have the courage to take a stand in defense of their employees who have autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Valleyfair

Autism Light #405 is Valleyfair.

Valleyfair is an amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area. The amusement park was opened in 1976 and consists of 75 attractions, including 48 rides and a water park on 125 acres of property. They are open full-time from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Valeyfair is an Autism Light because they designated May 31, 2015 as Autism Awareness Day at their entertainment business and made adjustments to their venue to be more autism friendly.

Valleyfair donated $1.00 from the sale of each ticket on May 31, 2015 to the Autism Society of Minnesota. Other things that Valleyfair announced for their Autism Awareness Day was their guest boarding passes so that autism families could avoid long lines, a lowering of the loud speaker at the park, and the establishment of designated quiet areas (KSTP.com, May 31, 2015). There is also a section of the Valleyfair Website that gives Tips for Guests with Autism which will provide support for those that attend the amusement park at any day of the season.

The following is a news story on the Autism Awareness Day in 2015 at Valleyfair.


Valleyfair is the largest amusement park in the Upper Midwest USA. According to Wikipedia, "Valleyfair and Cedar Point are the two original Cedar Fair parks, and the Fair in the Cedar Fair comes from Valleyfair (Valleyfair Wikipedia Page).

Wikipedia Page: You can read more about Valley Fair on their Wikipedia Page.

Social Media: You can follow Valleyfair on the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page of Valleyfair
• Twitter @ValleyfairMN

Special thanks to Valleyfair for being a business that cares about autism awareness. We hope that they will continue to be an autism friendly business and have Autism Awareness Days every season.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Joe's Crab Shack

Autism Light #385 is Joe's Crab Shack.

Joe's Crab Shack is an American chain of seafood casual dining restaurants owned by Ignite Restaurant Group. They were founded in 1991 and have headquarters in Houston, Texas. They have approximately 135 restaurants in 35 states in the United States. Joe's Crab Shack is an Autism Light because of their demonstrated dedication to raise money for autism through Autism Speaks during autism awareness month in April. Not counting ongoing efforts in 2015, they have raised $2.5 million for autism.

Here is a brief summary of the support Joe's Crab Shack has given to Autism Speaks for three years.

2013: Joe's Crab Shack started their corporate giving to Autism Speaks in April, 2013. Their first year they raised over $1 million for Autism Speaks. Joe's Crab Shack accepted donations online and in their restaurants. They have a signature Piece of the Puzzle tie-dye T-shirt they sell.

2014: In April 2014, Joe's Crab Shack raised $1.3 million for Autism Speaks in their second annual #JoesGoesBlue Campaign. Customers were given coupons for free food as they joined in the campaign. They were also given the opportunity to purchase Joe's Crab Shack's signature Piece of the Puzzle tie-dye T-shirt to support Autism Speaks. At the time the money raised was a record for Joe's Crab Shack's history of philanthropy (Joe's Crab Shack, Media Release, May 14, 2014).  Autism Speaks has a news release on their partnership with Joe's Crab Shack. On April 2, restaurants in the Joe's Crab Shack chain also went blue for Light it Up Blue. 

2015: In April 2015, Joe's Crab Shack continues to raise money in their third annual #JoesGoesBlue Campaign. They have a goal to exceed $1 million in donations again in 2015 (Joe's Crab Shack News Release, April 1, 2015).

Liz Feld, President of Autism Speaks said about Joe's Crab Shack,

We are grateful for the outstanding commitment Joe's and its guests have shown the autism community both locally and nationally. The #JoesGoesBlue campaign brought awareness to new audiences. And Joe's fundraising efforts will further our investment in innovative research, and our advocacy efforts for individuals and families affected by autism (Market Watch, Joe's Crab Shack, May 14, 2014)

Wikipedia: You can learn more about Joe's Crab Shack at the Joe's Crab Shack Wikipedia Page.

Social Media:  Several of the local franchises in Joe's Crab Shack have their own Facebook page.

Also, you can follow Joe's Crab Shack on Twitter@Joes_Crab_Shack.  Their Twitter account visibly demonstrates their support for autism.

It's #AutismAwareness month. Show your support & donate to @autismspeaks & get something back. http://t.co/5EGUKoI73d pic.twitter.com/GLASzcXr3d
— Joe's Crab Shack (@Joes_Crab_Shack) April 2, 2015

Thanks @autismspeaks for 10 yrs of groundbreaking research & for your support of those with autism & their families! #AutismSpeaks10
— Joe's Crab Shack (@Joes_Crab_Shack) February 25, 2015

Special thanks to Joe's Crab Shack for their support of autism and Autism Speaks. Joe's Crab Shack is a fine representative of the many businesses that are shining their light for autism and engaging their customers in raising awareness throughout the year, and especially for autism awareness month. Joe's Crab Shack will be featured on the Autism Light Business Page.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo of a Joe's Crab Shack restaurant was taken from the Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Doron Somer

Autism Light #377 is Doron Somer.

Doron Somer is an autism father who was born in Jerusalem and lives in Kadima, Israel. Doron is the father of two sons, Jonathan and Itamar. His 17 year old son Itamar has autism.  Out of his own personal experience as an autism father and armed with his passion and talent for technology, Doron formed the business AngelSense in 2013. AngelSense helps caretakers and parents track the location of their loved ones with special needs. Doron Somer is an Autism Light for his dedication as an autism father and for helping keep people from around the world with autism safer through his vision and leadership at AngelSense.

Doron Somer said this about being an autism parent in an email to Autism Light, "From my experience, raising a child with special needs is challenging - sometimes very challenging! But it is also a blessing. They give us the opportunity to grow as people, and have a more balanced perception of the world around us."

Doron Somer founded AngelSense in 2013, together with Nery his friend, in order to share with others the wearable technology that met a real need in his own life to keep his son with autism safe. AngelSense is a GPS tracker that can be secured to a person's clothing and it also offers a special "Listen In" feature for parents to hear sounds in the special needs environment when they are apart from family. You can read Doron's Story at the AngelSense blog and learn how the first prototype of AngelSense was used by Doron Somer to protect his child and how it became the foundation of AngelSense. 

One of the features that makes AngelSense stand out as a company is their customer service. The customer care workers at AngelSense have children with special needs and they use the product themselves.  They are more than happy to work through safety challenges that AngelSense can help minimize. There is a special email button in users accounts that makes communication with the company very efficient. It should be noted that AngelSense is not only for autism families, but can be of value for keeping people with diverse special needs safe. It could even have an application for tracking adults with special needs, such as people suffering from Altzheimer's.

The sweetest thing happened the other day when my son Jonathan was wearing his AngelSense device. He was naming his articles of clothing and pointed to his tracking device and called it "Angel". I might add that in the same breath he also tried to get the device off of his clothes in my presence and was unable to accomplish that, which is by design.

Maya Ariel's Story: The following story is representative of many others who each day in diverse locations around the globe are having their lives blessed by AngelSense. Doron Somer tells Maya Ariel's story in his own words:

Maya has an 11-year-old child with severe autism. His name is Rotem. Rotem used to ride the same school bus as my son Itamar. This is how I knew Maya. Maya writes children books – she is a brilliant person. She is also a single-mom, with a physical disability that makes it hard for her to take Rotem on walks.

When I started developing AngelSense, I needed an early adopter that could start using the product when it was in very early stages of development. I shared with Maya the vision when it pretty much a dream and she immediately agreed to start using the product during the development phase and help it become a reality. Rotem has severe sensory issues and thus he was a classic "client" for testing the unique wearing accessory we developed.

Because of Maya's physical disability, she needed a way to share his experiences as he went about his day. So Maya came up with the idea of pulling pictures from Google street view into the schedule in order to share Rotem’s day with him.

He initially just watched quietly and then he started saying the names of the locations. They had a really amazing experience of being together and sharing his day. We asked Maya to be the first mom on our customer care team. She immediately agreed! Maya today leads our technical support and doing an unbelievable job. She is an inspiration for the rest of the moms that followed.

She works extremely hard, but has told me that she feels AngelSense is not just a job opportunity for her but that her life has become filled with meaning by helping others.Maya is my true hero of AngelSense.

The following is a video of testimonials of other parents who are using AngelSense. Other testimonial and product instruction videos are available on the AngelSense YouTube Channel.

Service to Autism Community: Doron Somer views the value of AngelSense to the autism and special needs community in this way.

As parents to children with special needs, we constantly worry about them. The statistics of abuse, mistreatment, and bullying are horrible. There are also just as many cases of improper treatment. Not to mention the fear of wandering. I feel that our lives are often times very challenging and hectic; hopefully AngelSense can ease a few of the worries, help in optimizing and planning our time, and provide some peace of mind. When our children are not treated properly, everyone in the family pays a huge price. Meltdowns, self-injury, overall deterioration, etc. Knowing what is happening with our children and how they are being treated is crucial to improving their well-being and safety (Doron Somer).

Vision for AngelSense: Doron Somer has this vision for the future of AngelSense.

I would like to create a worldwide movement that is about keeping our children safe and well cared for. We also want to increase the awareness of the need to better protect our children and monitor the way they are being treated. I would like to see hundreds of thousands of parents joining us to this journey. When we are strong enough, we will be able to create real changes, including legislation where needed. 

I would also like to make sure that every parent may be able to benefit from AngelSense.

We understand not every family can afford AngelSense so we are always looking into ways to make it accessible to more people. We’re working on expanding assistance from charities, for example. We would also like for insurance companies to cover the cost for AngelSense. We would like to create as many avenues as we can so all of our special children can be protected by AngelSense (Doron Somer). 

Autism Fathers: Doron Somer writes this word of encouragement to other autism fathers.

You are not alone! We will do all that we can to create a better and safer world for our special children. It is a life mission for us and we encourage parents to join us on this journey. We need to stick together. There are many challenges along the way. The end goal is that our children are protected and we know what is happening with them while not under our care. I have left my hectic life as a hi-tech executive in order to create a change. I encourage fathers to step up and help us change the world.  It is possible! Totally possible!!! (Doron Somer).

Social Media:  You can follow AngelSense and Doron Somer's work at the following social media areas.

• Facebook Page - AngelSense
• Google + - AngelSense
• Twitter @AngelSenseGo
• YouTube Channel for AngelSense

Hobbies: Doron Somer keeps very busy as an autism father and his ongoing mission to test AngelSense in real life and improve it's features consumes most of his life, because he rarely can set aside his responsibilities to his family and friends around the world who use AngelSense. Doron does do some hobbies such as jogging and biking. His favorite recreation is watching Israeli football (soccer) games in the champion's league.

Special thanks to Doron Somer for being Autism Light. We look forward to hearing exciting things in the future as he continues to grow and develop his technological product known as AngelSense.  It is a blessing to the autism community that Doron is concentrating his energies on keeping people with special needs safe through wearable technologies. His work is certainly enhanced by being an autism father and having personal experiences with the need to protect his 17 year old son.

If you enjoyed this post check out other posts at the Autism Light blog with the label "Safety".

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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Photos: The photos in this post were used with permission of Doron Somer. 

Special Note: Autism Light is a non commercial blog.  This blog post was voluntarily written on the founder of an autism related business without any consideration for receiving any goods or services from them. While our family is currently using AngelSense at the time this post was written, we are paying the same $39.99 per month fee for the service as anyone else.

John Dalen

Autism Light #373 is John Dalen.

John Dalen

John Dalen is a 26 year old from Phoenix, Arizona who has autism. Armed with a deep faith in God, a supportive mother, and a determination to be an entrepreneur, John started a business in 2014 from his home that sells "Essential Energy Bars".  John is comfortable in the role his faith and work provides for him in his business. John Dalen is an Autism Light because of how his faith and business set an example to others with autism that it is possible to make a difference through one's spiritual life and work efforts.

John is nonverbal and uses facilitated speech communication. In order to start his business John took the online course and test to obtain his food handlers card and his home has been licensed by the State of Arizona for food service production. Jane Dalen said about her son, "I know he's intelligent. Just because he can't speak and he might pinch and grab because he was frustrated, I just knew someday he would break through (As quoted in CBS5 Arizona, November 23, 2014)." John Dalen's current business enterprise reflects how far he has come in living and thriving with autism.

The following is a video news story on John Dalen and his business ventures with "Essential Energy Bars".

CBS 5 - KPHO

Education: John Dalen graduated from Greenway High School in Phoenix in 2011. In order to help him with his business, John Dalen took a marketing courses at Paradise Valley Community College in the summer of 2014. This semester he is taking a class on "How to Own and Operate a Small Business". The Rising Entrepreneur Program at Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center also provided help for John to get his business started.

Christian Faith: John Dalen is a Christian and his faith has given him much hope as he has grown up with autism into the adult he is today.  John considers his business as a way for him to be a "Baker for God", and it gives him the opportunity to pray over diverse people who will have the blessing to enjoy his energy bars. Jane Dalen reflected on the roots of her son's spiritual life from it's beginnings to how it is lived out today in the following letter to Autism Light. 

John became a Christian and accepted Jesus as His Savior when he was 8 yrs old. I did not know it till we were able to learn facilitated communication when he was about 13. He was in a Bible class at a local Bible church where the message was presented and he wrote and told me he accepted Jesus then. He loves to attend church and worship time is his favorite. Even though he cannot sing, he will move in rhythm, try to sing, jump at times during his favorite songs and has that relentless joy that only comes from having faith. 

He knows the power of prayer and loves to pray for people. People at church will say how much joy they get from hearing and seeing John worship. And he sits still during the sermon and takes it all in. 

We read from the Bible daily, he prays for people and he does community outreaches to visit people in an assisted living facility, raises money for AZ Hope and a Future by doing their walk, he monthly gives to one of our pastors involved in Reach Global Africa, 10% of his business goes to a prophetic ministry. These are just some of the ways he expresses his faith and hope (Jane Dalen).

Joni Eareckson Tada: Joni Eareckson Tada, a paraplegic who has had a Christian ministry to the disabled community since 1979 called Joni and Friends, is a friend of John Dalen.  John sent Joni a gift of his bars to try along with a note saying, "Joni, I pray before making each batch of bars, that those who enjoy them will be nourished by God in a special way (Joni and Friends Blog, November 3, 2014)."

About the Energy Bars: John Dalen's business product is called "Essential Energy Bars". "Their energy bars are gluten free, low in unhealthy fats and sugars and tied up nicely in an eco-friendly recycled packaging (Adam Longo, CBS5 Arizona, November 23, 2014)."

Availability: John Dalen's "Essential Energy Bars" are currently available at Beneficial Beans Cafe in Scottsdale Civic Center Library and the Union 32 in Phoenix. Because of Arizona licensing regulations for the type of food business John has, his bars can only be sold to people in the State of Arizona. If you are an Arizona resident with an interest in ordering some of these energy bars or you wish to dialogue about John's autism life and business, email John and Jane Dalen at essentialnourishment@cox.net for more information.

Special thanks to John Dalen for shining a light for autism through his example as a man of faith and a business entrepreneur. John's story of success shows the potential that exists within people with autism to make a difference in their work and faith and it is also a tribute to the important role that an autism mother has in supporting her sons dreams. John makes a point of praying over his product as part of his business practice as a Christian. Likewise John is in our prayers and we wish John all the best in his future endeavors as he continues to build and grow his business. John Dalen is truly a blessing to the autism community.

You can search the label Christian at Autism Light and learn about others whose Christian faith helps them in the world of autism.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism. 

Photo: The photo in this post was used with permission of John Dalen.

JP Morgan Chase

Autism Light #333 is JP Morgan Chase & Company.

JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) is a banking and financial services company that was founded in 1799, in New York, New York by JP Morgan, starting as the Manhattan Bank. The corporation does business currently under the name of Chase and in 2000 it's companies became known as JP Morgan Chase & Company. Chase is the largest bank in the United States in terms of assets. Beginning on January 1, 2014, Chase started offering the autism insurance benefit to it's employees who have children with autism. Since Chase's medical plan is self-insured they are not required by any law to offer this. JP Morgan Chase is an Autism Light for it's voluntary assistance to autism families who are employed at their corporation by offering autism coverage in their employee health insurance plans.

Stephen Cutler, who serves as General Counsel at Chase and an Advisor to Access Ability, the Business Resource Group for Chase employees affected by disabilities, said this about the announcement.

JP Morgan Chase is excited to offer ABA Therapy and provide this important treatment alternative for the children of our employees. One in 88 children is diagnosed with Autism. With almost 160,000 employees enrolled in our U.S. medical plan, we are confident that this important new offering will change the lives of many of our employees (Business Wire, JP Morgan Chase Adds Autism Benefits to Employee Health Plans, November 26, 2013).

The following video presentation explains the business of JP Morgan Chase.


Bernadette Ulissi Branosky, JPMorgan's head of benefits, said, "Adding this type of benefit has been the biggest request we've heard from employees in recent years, and the outpouring of gratitude has been overwhelming (Reuters, JP Morgan, other employers move to cover costly autism therapies (December 16, 2013)."
The following are links to news stories on JP Morgan Chase offering autism insurance for it's employees.

• Autism Speaks, JP Morgan Chase to Introduce Autism Benefits in 2014 (November 26, 2013)
• Business Wire, JP Morgan Chase Adds Autism Benefits to Employee Health Plans (November 26, 2013)
• Reuters, JP Morgan, other employers move to cover costly autism therapies (December 16, 2013)

Twitter: You can follow Chase at their Twitter for Chase @Chase.
Wikipedia: You can learn more about Chase at their Wikipedia Page.
Special thanks to JP Morgan Chase for being an Autism Light and providing autism insurance for the families of it's employees. They are setting an example for other Fortune 500 companies to make a difference for by providing employee autism insurance, even when it is not legally required. We hope one day soon it will be commonplace for every insurance plan in the United States to have coverage for autism. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and the author of this blog post received no goods or services for writing this. While the author is a customer of Chase Bank, that relationship started prior to the company offering this autism benefit in their health plan.

Kmart in Bateau Bay

Autism Light #326 is the Kmart in Bateau Bay.

The Kmart in Bateau Bay, Australia is a discount department store.  The Kmart in Bateau Bay is located in the Bateau Bay Square, which was built in 1984. Kmart in Bateau Bay is an Autism Light because they replaced some Christmas gifts that were stolen from an autism family who bought them at their store.

Jenny O'Donnell is a single mother who had purchased some Christmas gifts on layaway for her two children. She has a daughter Eliza and a son named Connor who is 15 and has autism. Connor's gifts included a popular Skylanders toy and some DVDs.

Jenny O'Donnell had paid for the items at layaway but then left them at the check-out counter when she purchased some other items. When she returned to get them they had been taken.

Mike Charlton, the store manager of the Kmart in Bateau Bay, said, "It was very unfortunate that this should happen. Christmas is about making people happy (Kmart replaces Christmas gifts stolen from autistic teenager, The Telegraph, December 23, 2013)."   After hearing of her loss Mike Charlton decided that his Kmart store would replace the Christmas gifts that Jenny O'Donnell lost at the checkout counter.

Special thanks to the Kmart in Bateau Bay, Australia for setting an example for other businesses in kindness toward autism families. The generosity of this business made a difference in Jenny O'Donnell's family and is an inspiration at this time of the year.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Anthony Barrett

Autism Light #305 is Anthony Barrett

Anthony Barrett is 24 years old and has autism. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. Anthony Barrett is an Autism Light because he had a major accomplishment in his life as an invidual with autism, when he started his own business. Anthony Barrett is the owner of the Anthony At Your Service delivery business, a venture that began in 2012.

Here is a video of Anthony Barrett created by his aide/assistant Mikey Hamm.


Anthony At Your Service:  Anthony's website says, "Anthony is a gentle, joyful young man with autism, who has started his own delivery business (Read More at the Anthony At Your Service Website)." Anthony has a business where he runs errands, pickups, and deliveries within the City of Edmonton, Canada. 
Here is a video of the first year of Anthony's Business. 
Julie Brown of Brown & Hone Orthodontic said, "Everyone feels good when Anthony comes to the office. We know when he takes our dental cases to our clients he's bringing them that same good feeling as well (Read More Customer Testimonials at the Anthony at Your Service Website)."
You can read more about Anthony Barrrett's accomplishments in the Global News Story called Man With Autism Reaches Business Milestone. 
Social Media: You can follow Anthony's business on Twitter at @AnthonyAYS.
Special thanks to Anthony Barrett for being an Autism Light and providing this wonderful example of a business run by an individual with autism. We wish Anthony success in all his future endeavors. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Olga's Kitchen

Autism Light #297 is Olga's Kitchen.

Olga's Kitchen is a Greek style family restaurant chain that was founded in 1970 by Olga Loizon.  The headquarters of Olg'as Kitchen is in Troy, Michigan and most of their 36 franchises are presently located in the state of Michigan, but they have also have small number of restaurants that reach as far as Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri. Olga's Kitchen is an Autism Light because they are giving a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their entree salads in August, 2013 to the Autism Alliance of Michigan and also have a franchise doing a fundraiser for the Gideon Academic Center, Inc.

Here is a video of Olga Loizon explaining how she came to start Olga's Kitchen.


Autism Alliance of Michigan: During the month of August, 2013, Olga's Kitchen is donating a portion of the proceeds from their salad entrees to the Autism Alliance of Michigan. CBS Radio and Pepsi are also participating in this autism fundraising campaign (Source). 
Anthony Ianni, Autism Light #239, has created this announcement enouraging people to eat at Olga's Kitchen in order to help the Autism Alliance of Michigan to help those with autism in Michigan. They are also doing a social media campaign of encouraging people to take a photo of themselves eating at Olga's Kitchen.
Gideon Academic Center: In addition to their support for the Autism Alliance of Michigan, the Olga's Kitchen franchise located in the Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan will be also do a fundraiser to benefit Gideon's Academic Center on Saturday, August 24, 2013. 
You can find out more information on Olga's Kitchen on the following social media areas: 

• Twitter @Olgas_Kitchen
• Facebook Page

Olga's Kitchen also has a Wikipedia Page.  Special thanks to Olga's Kitchen for being an Autism Light and helping the Autism Alliance of Michigan. It is hoped that Olga's Kitchen support of the cause of autism will encourage other businesses to likewise consider partnering with their local community autism associations to help shine a light for autism. 
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor is their any expectation of personal gain by sharing this information. The photo of the Olga's Kitchen in Ann Arbor, Michigan is in the Creative Commons and is credited to Dwight Burdette.

Eric Peacock

Autism Light #256 is Eric Peacock.

Eric Peacock is an Autism Uncle from San Carlos, California. He is the CEO and Co-founder of MyHealthTeams. In May, 2010, MyHealthTeams created their first social network site for a chronic disease community called MyAutismTeam. Eric's nephew has Asperger's Syndrome and he and his family inspired the creation of MyAutismTeam. Eric Peacock is an Autism Light for establishing a place where autism parents can connect with other parents and share recommendations of great autism providers.

Education: Eric Peacock graduated from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Harvard College.

Business Experience: Eric Peacock's business includes leveraging health related resources to users through the power of social networking. "Peacock incubated MyHealthTeams with his team while General Manager at InsiderPages - a leading local search site owned by IAC / City Grid Media (Source)." His previous experience also includes positions with Perlegen Sciences, where he grew and developed pharmaceutical and academic partnerships conducting genetic studies of chronic diseases. He also was a VP at E*TRADE and a Partner at Oliver Wyman / Mercer Management Consultant.

MyAutismTeam: MyAutismTeam is a social network community. As of today there are 36,000 registered parents and 40,000 registered service providers and that number is growing daily. Many autism families use it as their new Facebook to connect specifically with others who understand about the challenges of life with autism. The following is a video of how MyAutismTeam operates.



Vision for MyAutismTeam: Eric Peacock shared this vision he has for MyAutismTeam via Autism Light.

We've grown from 30 to 36,000 registered parents in about a year and half. That is great, but we've got about another 1 million families out there who don't know about MyAutismTeam yet. So we'd like to really get the word out and grow the base of parents sharing their wisdom on the site. We are continuing to improve and evolve both the website and the mobile app offerings based on feedback from parents. We are now starting to leverage the power of our numbers to negotiate special offers and autism-tailored services on behalf of our members. It's amazing how responsive service providers will be when you tell them you are negotiating on behalf of 36,000 parents.

Mobile App: MyAutismTeam has a mobile phone app that may be downloaded from iTunes.

Eric Peacock said this about MyAutismTeam, "Our basic belief is if your child is diagnosed with autism it should be easy to find the best people around to help you and often those are other parents."

The following is an interview that Autism Live had with Eric Peacock.


MyBCTeam: Because of the success of MyAutismTeam, in September, 2012, MyHealthTeam created My MyBCTeam to improve the social networking for women dealing with breast cancer. Additional sites for different diseases are planned in the future.

Advice to Parents: Eric Peacock gave this advice to parents via Autism Light. "You are heroes. Please remember that you're not alone, and you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Connect with other parents who have been in your shoes, learn from them, and share your wisdom."

Social Media: You can follow MyAutismTeam at the following social media areas.

• Facebook
• Google+
• Twitter @MyAutismTeam

Other Information: More information about Eric Peacock and MyAutismTeam can be found at these articles.

• Mashable Article
• Our Special Families Village Interview with Eric Peacock

Special thanks to Eric Peacock for being an Autism Light. The social networking opportunities through MyAutismTeam have the potential to help thousands of autism families find local service providers and encouragement from other parents.

Related Posts: If you like this post, you may enjoy these others on people who founded other autism social networking sites. Like MyAutismTeam each fulfills a unique niche'.

• Craig Evans - Autism Hangout
• Sarah Winter - Squag

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post is used with permission of Eric Peacock.

Doug and Julie Sharp

Autism Lights #243 are Doug and Julie Sharp.

Doug and Julie Sharp are from Johnstown, Ohio and have two sons, including a 12 year old son with autism named Daniel. Their dedication to make the world a brighter place for those with autism has taken them on a journey to set up an enterprise called the Lettuce Work Foundation (Lettuce Work), which will provide teenagers and adults with autism important work opportunities.  Doug and Julie Sharp are Autism Lights for being visionary autism parents and filling a need for young people with autism to transition into the workplace.

  

Education: Doug and Julie Sharp are both graduates of Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. Julie Sharp earned her Masters in Teaching from Otterbein University and Doug Sharp earned his MBA from The Ohio State University.

Work: Julie Sharp is a teacher at Oakstone Academy and Doug Sharp serves as a Vice President at Grange Insurance Companies in Columbus, Ohio.

The following are two versions of a production that Jenna Smith and Katharine Egli did for a photo journalism project at Ohio University in 2009 on the Sharp family and how their autism journey with their son Daniel led to the birth of Lettuce Work.

Smith:Egli project4 from Jenna Smith on Vimeo.
Lettuce Work: Doug and Julie Sharp incorporated Lettuce Work in 2007.  Doug serves as the Executive Director and Julie is the Program Director of Lettuce Work. The passion for starting an enterprise like Lettuce Work came from real needs the Sharp's discovered in their roles as autism parents and their involvement in education of autism students at Oakstone Academy in Westerville, Ohio.  Doug Sharp wrote this to Autism Light about their mission.

As we saw our students progressing through high school, Julie and I recognized that there is a significant need for additional training post-high school for many of our ASD kids. Even if they have plans to attend college, many of them still need additional help/training developing their social skills & communication skills outside the school. And of course, there are also students who will not go on to college that need vocational training and assistance finding work and succeeding in a work environment after high school. There just aren't enough programs "out there" to meet this need. We wanted to create a work environment where we could focus on developing these skills for our young adults with autism, and help them find other employment opportunities and live independently to the extent they are able. We worked with Ohio State to create our hydroponic growing business model, and will be selling a pre-packaged salad mix to local restaurants.

According to Doug Sharp the first years of Lettuce Work were "dedicated to market research, creating a business plan, developing a board, and soliciting donations to construct our facility."  A new facility for the business is currently being constructed and should be finished in 2013.  Doug Sharp writes this about the future of the company.

New Home of Lettuce Work

Lettuce Work is best described as a "social enterprise, since it is an actual business, but instead of using profits to reward the business owners, those are used to provide services to our ASD associates. Since we are just getting started and still under construction, we are starting to work with the Vocational Ed. students from Oakstone Academy in Westerville, Ohio. This school is nationally known for their programs for ASD students, and we are working with them to provide work experience for their Voc Ed ASD students. Once construction is complete, we will transition the students over to our growing operation, where they will get involved in all aspects of the business. That not only includes the basics of planting, harvesting and packaging, but also customer interaction via sales & delivery, and a lot of chemistry and math due to our hydroponic growing systems. Also plenty of exposure to computers related to running the business and growing systems.

The Lettuce Work Foundation is a 501c3 organization and has a board of directors made up of professionals in Ohio who bring considerable skill and experience to the organization (Source).  Donations are extremely helpful at this time and one may make a secure online donation to the Lettuce Work foundation through their website.  Lettuce Work is an approved agency provider for the Ohio Developmentally Disabled system. For more information on the mission of Lettuce Work you can contact them in these ways:

The Lettuce Work Foundation

PO Box 217 New Albany, Ohio 43054

PH: (614) 893-8029

Website: www.lettucework.org

Email: doug.sharp@lettucework.org or  julie.sharp@lettucework.org

Social Media: You can follow Doug and Julie Sharp and the Lettuce Work Foundation at the following social media areas:

• Facebook Group Page for The Lettuce Work Foundation
• Twitter @LettuceWork
• YouTube Channel for Lettuce Work

Doug Sharp said this to Autism Light about his expectation that programs that offer work opportunities for those with autism will become more widespread.

The most encouraging trend that I see is that more and more businesses are popping up that fit this "social enterprise" model to help employ adults with disabilities. I really believe this business model is the wave of the future versus the "traditional" non-profit organization that relies almost exclusively on donations to keep its doors open. Given the current economy and the extremely high unemployment rate for adults with disabilities (70%+), these small businesses are a bright light on the horizon.

Autism Light asked Doug Sharp how parents can prepare their older children for the day when they may enter the workplace.  This is what he said:

They need get started in High School and let the child work through the change together with their teacher/job coach and employer. Progress is measured in inches, not miles and in years, not days. Finding a patient employer who is willing to work with them is critical. Get started before they are out of high school. So many parents think that somehow their child will be able to go on to college or easily find a job after high school just like they did. Unfortunately, that's just not the case. Be honest and realistic about your child's interests, skills and abilities and get started sooner rather than later. Don't put it off - you'll do yourself and your child a big favor.

Special thanks to Doug and Julie Sharp for making a difference for autism. As children age and the population of adults with autism increases the business concept represented in Lettuce Work can serve as a model for how to create a win-win situation for business and disability services. We expect to hear great things from Lettuce Work as it grows and completes it's facility expansion in 2013.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

The Photos in this post were used with permission of Doug Sharp. 

Sevenly

Autism Light #219 is Sevenly.

Sevenly is a business in Fullerton, California that, since they launched on June 14, 2011, have been helping one cause each week of the year by giving to them a portion of the sales of their products that week.  Sevenly partnered with Autism Speaks the week of July 24-30, 2012. Sevenly is an Autism Light for supporting Autism Speaks and raising awareness for autism in social media.

Sevenly describes their business in the following way:

Sevenly is a weekly cause activation platform. Some have even called us a cause crowdfunding platform. Every week (7 days) we partner with a new non-profit organization, we create unique art and limited edition products that we sell exclusively on our website Sevenly.org for 7 days. For every product sold, we give that week’s non-profit organization $7. For example, if we sold 1,000 products, Sevenly would donate $7,000 (Sevenly.org Website/FAQ).

In their Frequently Asked Questions they describe their driving force as a "desire is to move a generation toward generosity and an intentional love for others" and that their purpose is driven from a passage in the Bible--Matthew 22:36-40. (Source).

Sevenly's support of Autism Speaks will be used to provide communiation therapy to a child affected by autism. Almost $150,000 has been raised through Sevenly's support of Autism Speaks. Thanks to donors providing a triple match to the standard $7.00 donated by Sevenly, the full $21 of the sale price of the shirts went to Autism Speaks for most of the week.

Sevenly provides a description of the meaning of their shirt design and connects it with the cause being supported. Here is Sevenly's description of their autism shirt.

The illustration style of the lion is meant to represent power and strength. The effect of autism on individuals suffering from the disorder as well as people connected to it such as parents and siblings can be exhausting. The lion represents power and strength so instead of focusing on the issues of people affected by autism we decided to focus on the strength and courage of these individuals. These are people who are extremely determined, talented and courage to say the least. They are not weak, or broken and incapable — We are inspired by their strength and want to encourage them to stay strong (Sevenly.org Website).

One of the keys to the success of Sevenly is that they have a dedicated and hip social media program that compliments their marketing efforts. Each week the designated cause benefits from their social media blitz. Here is one of the Tweets that came from Sevenly's Twitter account.

Do not worry about why problems exist in the world -- just respond to people's needs. #ServeOthers
— Sevenly (@sevenly) July 26, 2012

 

Social Media: You can follow Sevenly on the following social media areas.

• http://twitter.com/sevenly
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• YouTube

 

Order your limited edition Sevenly product on the "Speak Loud" autism theme while there is still time. Special thanks to Sevenly for supporting autism and making it their featured cause the last week of July, 2012. Sevenly is indeed an Autism Light. 

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photos: The images of Sevenly were used with permission of Ryan Wood and can be found on their Facebook page.

Snip-its Salon

Autism Light #169 is Snip-its Salon.

Snip-its is a kids hair salon with 26 locations across the United States. It was founded by Joanna Meiseles in 1995. Snip-its' corporate office is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Snip-its is an Autism Light because they have devoted the effort to train their employees on the special needs surrounding the experience of cutting hair of children with autism.

A reason that Snip-its is so deserving to be an autism light is that, "All of Snip-its' stylists are certified to work with children with autism and other special needs, including sensory issues (Source)." Autism Speaks also lists Snip-its as a Family Services Resource on it's website.The following is a training guide that Snip-its developed in partnership with Autism Speaks and Melmark New England.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/24/2682722/kid-friendly-franchise-opens-its.html#storylink=cpHere is an autism training video developed by Snip-Its in partnership with Autism Speaks

To find out more about Snip-its visit their website at www.snipits.com. You may also read the following articles on how local franchises are adopting the corporate culture at Snip-its of being autism friendly.

• Kid Friendly Franchise Opens Its Doors in Aventura 
• Helping Kids with Autism One Haircut at a Time

The following is a news story on the Snip-Its in El Segundo, California helping children with autism (Source).

Social Media: You can follow Snip-its on Twitter. Some local franchises also have their own Facebook page.

Special thanks to Snip-its for being an Autism Light. Snip-its provides a valuable service by making it easier for children with autism to get their haircut.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Note: Autism Light is a neutral blog and we have no relationship to the business featured in this post nor have we received any return of goods or services for writing this post.

Photos: The logo and photos in this post were used with permission of the Snip-its corporation.

Dan, Carey, and Rob Tedesco

Autism Lights #156 are Dan, Carey, and Rob Tedesco.

Dan and Carey Tedesco

Rob Tedesco

The Tedesco's are from Shelton, Connecticut. Dan and Carey Tedesco are the parents of a son named Evan who has autism. Rob Tedesco is Evan's Uncle. In August, 2008 the trio founded a family business called HandHold Adpative to help provide mobile app needs for autism and special needs. Dan and Carey Tedesco and Rob Tedesco are Autism Lights because of the way in which HandHold Adaptive is meeting communication needs in the autism community.

HandHold Adpative has created several important apps that are available for the autism community. According to their website the mission of HandHoldAdaptive is to "'bridge the divide' between the special needs community and a dynamic world, by innovating technologies that make life easier for people with disabilities and their caregivers."

The following is a news story done about HandHold Adaptive's creation of the iPrompts App.

Carey Tedesco uses a mobile phone with her son Evan

HandHold Adpative has created the following Apps for mobile phones and the iPad that may be of interest to the autism community:

• Autism Track--their newest app is a journaling tool that allows caregivers of people with autism to track interventions, behaviors, and symptoms.
• iPrompts--their original app is a visual support tool that allows people with autism to communicate better. Wade Wingler of the INDATA Project with Easter Seals Crossroads in Indiana did a demonstration of iPrompts for the iPad in a video on YouTube. 

Dan Tedesco said the following about the potential importance of mobile apps to people with autism.

We believe that the autism community needs mobile apps to enable better integration in society. Managing anxieties, communication, data tracking, and ultimately real-time job coaching are all things that can be accomplished in discrete, non-stigmatizing, dynamic and adaptable ways by employing mobile devices (Rob Tedesco).

Partnerships: Handhold Adaptive has partnerships with Autism Speaks, Els for Autism, Southern Connecticut State University's Autism Center. In addition, some exciting new partnerships are being planned as well with some Ivy League schools.

Dan and Carey Tedesco came up with the ideas for their autism Apps because of needs they encountered during the every day care and education of their son Evan who has autism. Rob Tedesco writes,

Dan and Carey are inspired to create tools based on real-life needs in the household in the ordinary course of caring for Evan, who has autism, e.g., we need to track data more efficiently, so we invented Autism Track. We worked with our developers to prototype and test, and also secure grant funding. Under grants and research contracts, we work with universities to study efficacy and improve the apps.

Social Media: Dan and Carey Tedesco and HandHold Adaptive can be followed on the following social media areas:

• Facebook (iPrompts)
• Facebook (Dan Tedesco)
• YouTube (HandHold Adaptive)
• Twitter (HandHold Adaptive)
• Twitter (iPrompts)
• Twitter (Rob Tedesco)

Special thanks to Dan and Carey Tedesco and Rob Tedesco for creating a business that provides mobile technology apps that are making a difference for people with autism. We are grateful that the love they have for their son and nephew inspired them to share a resource with other parents and people with autism as well. If you liked this post you may wish to read the other Autism Light posts with the label iPad on them.

Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

Photo: The photo in this post are used with permission of the Tedesco Family.

This post went into syndication on Autisable.